So I just pre-orded the new Nook. After placing my order I decided to look at the specs. I noticed that under the support formats eReader PDB is not listed. B&N is saying it only supports EPUB and PDF.

I've sent the following email to B&N asking for clarification about B&N sold eReader PDB files.

Quote:

The new Nook STR has EPUB and PDF listed as the only supported ebook formats. How will I be able to read eReader PDB formatted books distributed by you on this device? Just the other day I purchased Toll the Hounds by Steven Erikson and received this book as an eReader PDB file. Will I not be able to read large parts (including this title) of the B&N sold books on the new Nook?

My main concern is B&N is still selling titles in the eReader PDB format and I would like to actually be able to read books I buy from B&N on the device. I'm still ending up with about half the books I buy being in this format. I do only download to my computer and not directly to a Nook if that makes a difference. Anyone have ideas, thoughts, know anything about this.

I didn't know they were still selling books in eReader/PDB. Pretty sure the 'touch' won't support it as the reader appears similar to the 'color' (like maybe they're using the same software) and that doesn't support them.

As I understand it, B&N is transitioning to EPUB exclusively and anything you previously downloaded as a PDB can be re-downloaded as an EPUB.

What I've heard is that if you're downloading to a PC or a Nook, you already get EPUBs automatically.

But if you're downloading to a Mac, you will often get PDBs because the old eReader for Mac desktop app sometimes has trouble with EPUBs. (However, now that there's a beta version of Nook for Mac desktop app available, Mac users will probably start getting EPUBs instead of PDBs soon.)

To get an EPUB when downloading to a Mac, change the User Agent on your browser to mimic a PC. You can do this in Safari by going to the menu bar, choosing Develop > User Agent, and selecting Firefox for PC or Internet Explorer.

I haven't tried this on every single book that B&N sells, of course, but so far, it works for every single book I've bought from them.

If you're on a Mac, I'd be interested in knowing if your experience is the same as mine -- i.e., downloading to a Mac results in PDBs, but changing the User Agent to mimic a PC results in EPUBs.

If you're on a Mac, I'd be interested in knowing if your experience is the same as mine -- i.e., downloading to a Mac results in PDBs, but changing the User Agent or downloading directly to a Nook results in EPUBs.

It is. Changing the user agent to IE 8 on Windows and everything downloads as an EPUB. If I don't change my user agent I get PDBs for a large number the titles in my library.

Yep, I was told by the phone customer service (not 1-800-the book peoples) that PDB is no longer supported. Pretty much everything should be ePub. Unfortunately I don't have a Mac so I can't play around and see what you're seeing. Very very odd.

Just curious -- is there a problem with losing PDB support if all B&N books can be re-downloaded as EPUBs? Is there an advantage to PDBs I'm not aware of?

It's not an issue if I can get the book as an EPUB. However, up until starting this thread I was under the impression that I could only get certain titles as eReader PDB files because that's all B&N would let me download.

I got a response from B&N on the issue. The new Nook STR will not read eReader PDB files. They have forwarded support for eReader PDB files as a suggestion to "the
individuals responsible for NOOK Books for consideration."

Just curious -- is there a problem with losing PDB support if all B&N books can be re-downloaded as EPUBs? Is there an advantage to PDBs I'm not aware of?

Yes, there is a problem. Those of us who have troves of books bought through B&N-owned companies like Fictionwise and eReader have no way to read those books on our B&N devices if they ditch PDB. If B&N isn't going to make their wholly-owned subsidiaries switch to EPUB, they really shouldn't be ditching support for PDB.